SPORTING.

Globe, Volume V, Issue 539, 10 March 1876, Page 3

SPORTING.

PENINSULA RAGE MEETING. Thursday, March 9. Stewards—H. Buchanan, B. C. Latter, Geo. Scarbrough, Chas. Haylock, Wm. Birdling, J. Aylmer, John Gebbie, and Wm. Coop. Judge Wm. Birdling. Starter —W. Hendly. Clerk of the Scales—J. Duxbury. Clerk of the Course—P, Birdling. The Little River meeting came off yesterday. The weather, though warm, was very pleasant, and the attendance good. The racing was not quite so successful as we -<jpuld have anticipated, but the stewards were in no way to blame for this. It is not in mortals to command success, but the P.R.C, stewards certainly deserved it. The arrangements ‘were a great improvement on last year. The various events were started with a fair attempt at punctuality; There were race cards seen, we believe, for the first time on the Little River course, and the officials were certainly the right men in the right place. Next year we look forward to a really good Peninsula meeting. The local sportsmen, and there are not a few, have this year taken more interest in the races than usual, and next season, if the committee exert themselves, we hope to see stakes advertised large enough to tempt owners to come from all parts of the province. The district is a very prosperous one, and properly worked up, the Peninsula Race Meeting ought, next to the Metropolitan, to be the most attractive one in the province. The course, which isoneof the best in the province, was in capital order. Sergeant Ramsay was in charge of the police department, and Mr Franks the Bacchanalian. The duties of the latter were decidedly the more onerous. To come to the sport proper the programme opened with the Handicap Hurdle race, for which three acceptors figured on the card. Lunatic, the Veteran, was the most fancied, Phantom, a Golden Grape mare who has won several hack races in her time, only went to the post to make up the three starters. The race thus resolved itself into a match between Noble and Lunatic. The former, who performed last year, is a very useful grey, and he jumped in really good form; but Lunatic ought to have won in spite of his impost had he been in his usual form. The race, owing to Lunatic’s refusal at the third hurdle, was a gift to Noble. The Maiden Plate was unfortunately a fiasco. Miss Flirt and the Bantam colt went inside a post early in the race, and left Black Pine to canter round by himself. The District Handicap was, in the absence of Symphony, a gift to Disk. Miss Flirt only went once round, and the two-year-old Ladybird was quite out paced from the start; Ladybird is a very useful filly, but racing is, we should say, scarcely her platform, and two miles are certainly too far for a two-year old. Dick, the winner, is a handsome little horse, and would take a respectable place in better company than he has met at Little River. The Peninsula Handicap was supposed to be a moral for Muscatel. He looked well, and though carrying 41b overweight, ran a good horse for three parts of the distance, but Black Pine’s condition pulled him through. He was very well ridden by Dr Peard, who, we should say, was anything but a novice at the business. Maid of the Mount was ridden by her owner, who preferred to ride 161bs overweight when a good rider was attainable. We should recommend him for the future to limit his entries to weight-for-age races, as 161bs overweight is rather much even when such a horseman as Mr Brown is up. It spoils a handicap, and as in the present instance loses a race for the owner. The Hack race produced a field of four, and was won very easily by Mr Brown’s Black Bess. The Consolation and Maori Hack race had not come off when our reporter left the ground. We append details of the various events.

Handicap Hurdle Race of 10 sovs added to a sweepstakes of 1 sov each for acceptors ; entrance, 1 sov, to go to the the fund ; two miles over eight flights of hurdles. Mr Shadbolt’a g g Noble, 4 yrs, 9st 61b (B. Shadbolt) 1 Mr F. Oradock’s b g' Lunatic, aged, list 71b (Mcllraith) 2 Mr Oradock’s g m Phantom, 5 yrs, 10st 71 b (Owner) 0 Betting—Even money on Lunatic. The lot went away at a slow canter. Phantom, who only went to the post to make up the race, pulling up at the first hurdle, which Noble was the first to clear. The grey then led to the second hurdle, which he jumped about a length in advance of Lunatic, the pace being still miserably slow. At the third hurdle Lunatic refused, and Noble went to the front, and taking every jump in good style, increased his lead to the finish, winning in a canter, hard held; Maiden Plate of 10 sovs; for all horses the bona fide property of residents in the district; entrance, 1 sov to go to the fund; one and half miles; weight-for-age, Mr Shadbolt’s b g Black Pine, by Caledon, aged, 9st 81b ... (Shadbolt) 1 Mr Pawson’s b m] Miss Flirt, 5 yrs, 9st 61b (Barker) 0 Mr Castle’s b c by Bantam, 3 yrs, Bst lib (J. Castles) 0 Betting—2 to 1 on Black Pine. The lot got well away together, at an easy canter. Before a quarter of a mile had been covered Miss Flirt and the Bantam colt each went inside a post and pulled up, leaving Black Pine to finish the race by himself. District Handicap of 15 sovs; for all horses the bona fide property of residents in the district, added to a sweepstakes of £1 10s each for acceptors; entrance, £1 10s ; two miles. Mr F. Birdling’s br g Dick, aged, 9st 61b ;(W. Hankins) 1 Mr Bhadbolt’s Ladybird, 2 yrs, sst 71b (W. Shadbolt) 2 Mr Pawson’s b m Miss Flirt, 5 yrs, Bst7lb (Mr Moreshead) 0 Betting even money on Dick. Dick was quickest on his legs, and led for the first half mile, Miss Flirt second, Ladybird lying back. At the back of the course Miss Flirt took charge of affairs, and led to the stand, where she pulled up. Dick now took up the running, and increasing his lead, won easily in a common canter, Ladybird second. Peninsula Handicap of 25 sovs added to a sweepstakes of 2 sovs each for acceptors; entrance, 2 sovs to go to the fund ; two miles. Mr Sbadbolt’sb g Black Pine, by Caledon, aged, Sat 101 b (Dr Peard) 1 Mr Oradock’s b g Muscatel, 5 yrs, 9st 11 lb including 41b overweight... (Griffin) 2 Mr James Brown’s b m Maid of the Mountain, 9et 61b, including 161 b overweight (Owner) 3

Betting—Even on Muscatel. Maid of the Mountain was the first to show in front, followed by Black Pine and Muscatel in the order named, They ran thus to the back of the course, when Muscatel went to the front and made the running to half a mile from home, when Black Pine came up with a wet sail, and after racing Muscatel a few yards, came away and won easily, Muscatel second, and Totara a fair third. A protest was entered against the winner by Mr Cradock, the owner of Muscatel, on the ground of irregularity in entering, but was disallowed by the stewards.